Judaism

Who is Jewish?

A significant aspect of Judaism is that historically Jews comprised a clan or tribe, considered descendants of the 12 tribes of Israel. They were founded by the sons of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, first prophet and hence father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. God’s covenant with Abraham, which was marked by the circumcision of his son Isaac, represented the starting-point of the Jewish people. Consequently, the practice of circumcising 8 day old boys continues to be a cornerstone of contemporary Jewish practice, symbolizing the Jews’ relationship both with God and with one another.

Judaism defines itself in matrilineal terms: to become Jewish one only need have a Jewish mother (or, very rarely, convert). Thus, an individual can be considered Jewish or even consider themselves Jewish purely on the grounds of their ancestry and without "believing" in anything or "following" any particular set of practices.

As a result, Judaism does not seek to convert, as some religions do: it is not a “missionary” religion. In fact, quite the reverse is true: it is notoriously difficult to convert to Judaism, and the rules governing conversion are invariably tough. Those who do so in the UK often have to go through 5 years of studying Judaism and living with Orthodox families to prove their sincerity. This also explains the stress on "marrying-in" and not "marrying-out," especially for men, since their offspring can only be Jewish if their partners are. As of 2002 there were 13,296,100 Jews in the world, and 266,740 in the UK, 0.5% of the population.

Faith

So, unusually for a faith, it is possible to be Jewish without being religious. Unlike Christianity, Judaism is generally conceived of as an orthopractic, rather than orthodox, religion . This means that it is characterized by ritual behaviour rather than faith. These ritual actions are done according to the law of God, known as halacha, and are hence not time or place specific.

Of course, there are strains of Judaism that have grown in popularity since the 19th Century and that model themselves directly on the Protestant model, which are considered faith-based, such as the Reform movement in the UK. It is not implied that all Jewish people do not hold conventional religious beliefs; merely that, unlike being Muslim, being Jewish is not dependent on belief. Many Jews do hold religious beliefs: for instance belief in the existence of God, the existence of an afterlife, the importance of prayer and worship to virtue and many other teachings of the scriptures.

Practice

Rituals and practices are very important in the perpetuation of Judaism. There are 613 commandments for Jews to follow and these relate to virtually all aspects of their lives, including diet, sexual behaviour and family life . The laws of keeping kosher are the most famous. Since the Torah stipulates that Jews may not eat animals unless they have cloven hooves and chew the cud (regurgitate their food), pork is off the menu. Shellfish is also forbidden, since fish must have both fins and scales to be considered kosher, and the mixing of milk and meat is outlawed on the basis that it is akin to killing a calf in its mother’s milk. Animals must also be ritually slaughtered in a practice knows as shechieta. It is interesting to note that the root of the Arabic word halal, the Islamic equivalent of kosher, and the Hebrew word halacha share an Aramaic root.

Another common example of Jewish practice is observance of the Sabbath, or day of rest. The custom is for the Jewish Sabbath to be on Saturday, whereas the Christian day of rest is Sunday. Jewish law outlines 39 forbidden categories of tasks for the Sabbath day, including igniting a flame or carrying. Thus, Jews may not drive a car, watch television or make phone calls. Instead, Jews traditionally gather together with their families or communities for quiet contemplation and prayer. Of course, not all Jews observe the Sabbath, but many continue the traditional practice of Friday night dinners, complete with plaited yeast bread, or chollah, and chicken soup.

Jews in Britain and Europe

Although likely to be historically symbolic rather than factually accurate, Jews were allegedly permitted to 'return' to Britain by Cromwell in 1656, having been expelled in 1290. The Board of Deputies of British Jews was founded in 1760 and represents British Jews to this day. Many Jews have come to Britain in the last 100 years, fleeing persecution in mainland Europe, principally genocide in Tsarist Russia and in Europe under Nazi occupation before and during the Second World War. The latter massacre is known as the Holocaust, during which over six million Jews (90% of the Jewish population in some countries), and other ‘undesirable’ groups, were systematically annihilated in gas chambers in Eastern Europe. These events led to the formation of the State of Israel, which was authorized by the British, the colonial power in Palestine, as well as by the United Nations.

The Jewish population of Britain, whilst small, is now well integrated and well represented. There are currently nearly 50 Jewish MPs including the former leader of the opposition. This is probably a result of the length of time Jews have been present in Britain, and the extent to which heritage, rather than faith, defines being Jewish. In contrast with a more recently arrived religious community, despite the accelerating increase of representation and participation in the democratic process, there are currently 4 Muslim MPs. This is in stark contrast to the situation only 70 years ago, when mainstream newspapers like The Daily Mail and leading political speakers were violently antisemitic.

Modern Judaism

The vast majority of British Jews live in London, seat of British politics and media, or in Manchester or Leeds. Many live in North or North West London, where there are significant communities of highly Orthodox Jews. Many Jews are not orthodox, however, and may hold few religious beliefs, only being considered Jewish out of ancestry. These Jews may be modern, liberal and even secular, identical to many non-religious young people in London.

Jewish children still undergo many of the traditional rites of passage. When a boy turns 13 he becomes Bar Mitzvah, normally in the form of a celebration representing his passage into manhood. Orthodox girls have a Bat Chayils , meaning “daughter of valour ”, or Bat Mitzvah if their denomination allows them to read from the Torah.

Festivals 2008

20th - 26th April	Passover (Pesach)	This festival commemorates the Jews’ Exodus from Egypt with Moses, in which they were ‘passed over’ by plagues and able to flee across the Red Sea. A seder meal is eaten including unleavened bread.
30th September - 1st October	New Year (Rosh Hashannah)	The New Year celebration will typically include a feast featuring apples and honey, symbolising a ‘sweet’ new year.
9th October	Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)	This is the holiest day of the Jewish year. The focus is on reconciliation and repentance. All businesses and services will close, and a 24 hour fast is held, creating a solemn and spiritual environment.
14th - 20th October	Sukkot	During this week many Jews will erect a temporary shelter (tabernacle), representing 40 years of wandering after the flight from Egypt. While it is intended to be dwelt in for 7 days, in cold climates like the UK it may be used for having meals, celebrating, praying or entertaining.
5th - 12th December 2007	Hanukah	This is a festival of light, in which candles are lit in a distinctive 7 or 8 branched candelabrum over the week.